Summer is Drawing to a Close…But There is Still Time to Explore Our Area Before the Kids Return to the Classroom

Check out our Museum Passes and Look at the Events Listings in the “Useful Websites Section” of this blog. (If you are getting this as an email, click on this headline to see them.)





If your child will be starting school this September, check out our “Starting School” book display at the library and these titles from The Children’s Book Review. 



Buying "Back to School” Supplies for your children? Consider helping out another child at the same time. Here’s how.



Before you buy that anti-bacterial soap for your child’s classroom…take a look at this worrisome study ….reported in TIME Magazine last week.

Freaky Clean: Chemical in Antibacterial Soap Weakens Muscle Function A new study questions the safety of triclosan, a common chemical in antibacterial products like soap, toothpaste and mouthwash was found to impair muscle function in lab and animal tests.

According to a recent Smithsonian article:

Studies have shown that the chemical can disrupt the endocrine systems of several different animals, binding to receptor sites in the body, which prevents the thyroid hormone from functioning normally. Additionally, triclosan penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream more easily than previously thought, and has turned up everywhere from aquatic environments to human breast milk in troubling quantities. Read more...

(MORE: Can Overuse of Antibacterial Soap Promote Allergies in Kids?)

House-cleaning? Want to make more room? The Friends of the Library are accepting book & media donations for their fall sale 9:30-8:30 Thursday August 23rd, 9:30-4:30 Friday & Saturday Aug. 24th&25th and 9:30-noon Monday August 27th.




 
Programs @ the Bridgewater Library

Though we have no more summer programs & activities, there’s still time to register and record minutes in our summer reading clubs. The clubs are open to preschoolers as well as school-aged children. Come by the desk to learn all about them! Last day to record minutes is Sept. 8th.


September Programs:
Sing-a-Long: School Daze (For Children of All Ages) Wed. Sept 5th 10 a.m. No registration required. Bid farewell to summer and hello to a new school year with these timely tunes.


Stuffed Animal Sleepover (Ages 3-8) Thursday, September 6th from 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm Registration begins August 23. Wear your pajamas and bring your stuffed animal or doll (not the one you need to sleep with!) to the library for a bedtime story during Thursday night’s PAJAMA STORYTIME on Sept. 6th  at 7 pm. Leave your stuffed animals overnight for a fun filled slumber party. Pick your stuffed animals up Friday morning and receive a special souvenir of their library sleepover! Remember, this is a sleepover for your stuffed animals ONLY! 

After-School Adventure: 'The Paper Bag Princess' (Ages 5-10) Monday, September 10th  from 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm  Registration begins August 27.  Join us for this untraditional fairy tale, 'The Paper Bag Princess,' and then make a paper bag gown (or knight’s tabard) to take home.



 
Our school year storytime schedule resumes on Tuesday, September 11th.  Family Storytimes (ages 2-6) are held Tuesdays at 10 and 1:30, Toddler Times (ages 18-36 months) Wednesdays at 10 & 11 and Thursdays at 10:30 & 11:30, Baby Times (Birth-18 months) Thursdays at 9:30.  No registration is required but we ask that you only attend one session each week.  Full details are posted our September Calendar or you can call us at 908 526-4016 x126.  We also offer a satellite storytime/craft on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. at the Neshanic Station Library. 
Looking for an Evening Storytime? Somerville Public Library has one Tuesday September 11, 2012 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM. Program space is limited. Registration required. 

There are ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS at other system libraries for children & teens…find their online calendars under the “events/programs” tab on our home page.
If you register for a program and realize that you won’t be able to come, please call (908 526-4016x126) or email us (bwljuv@sclibnj.org) as early as possible so we can make someone on the waitlist very happy. Next time that waitlisted participant might be your child!


@ Bridgewater Library for Teens:


The Teen Summer Reading Program continues through Sept. 8th. Stop by anytime this summer to register or record your time.




Talk It Up: 'Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life' by James Patterson (For students entering grades 5-8) Wednesday, August 22nd From 7-8 pm Registration begins August 8th. When Rafe Khatchadorian enters middle school, he teams up with his best friend, 'Leo the Silent,' to create a game to make school more fun by trying to break every rule in the school's code of conduct.



Open Mic Cafe Night (Ages 13+) Thursday, Aug. 30th From 7:00pm – 8:30pm Registration Required to perform. Think you’ve got what it takes to get up on stage in front of your peers with nothing but your voice and guitar? Want to share your poetry, comedy, or original music? Then this is your night! Join us for this one of a kind experience, and help local musicians and writers get their voices heard. Depending on registration, artists will receive 10-15 minute slots to play music or recite poetry. Sign ups will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Please check back for more registration information. **You only need to register if you are interested in performing.**


5th & 6th Grade Volunteers  Wednesday, September 5th from 7-8pm Registration required.  ATTENTION STUDENTS IN GRADES 5 AND 6: Here is your chance to make a difference by volunteering at the library! You can help the library with special projects including creating bookmarks for young children, organizing and tidying up the Children’s Room, and much more!

End of Summer/Teen Volunteer Party! (Grades 6-12) (For students entering grades 6-12) Friday, September 7
From 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Registration required.  Come celebrate the end of summer! Ice cream sundaes will be served and our teen volunteers will be honored for all their hard work over the summer.  We’ll also be raffling off special prizes!


Looking Ahead?  check out our September teen calendar here.

Around the Community:

Last Chance to see the RVCC Planetarium Summer Shows!  All shows run approximately 40 minutes. Admission: $7 for one show, $12 for two shows on the same day. Call 908-231-8805 for reservations!

Solar System Odyssey Tuesdays through August 28 2:00 p.m.Go on a futuristic journey through our Solar System. With Earth's resources being rapidly depleted, a tycoon sends our hero, Jack Larson, on a mission to discover a new home to colonize. This character-driven show is perfect for middle school students! (recommended for ages 8-12)



Attack of the Space Pirates Tuesdays through August 28 3:00 p.m.Hidden somewhere in the vast reaches of space is an alien technology so powerful that it threatens the very galaxy itself. A gang of rogue pirates will stop at nothing to find that technology and unleash its awesome power against the rest of the universe. Now, only one valiant ship stands between the pirates and their total domination of space. It’s a race against time for the Starship Intrepid as it seeks to find the alien technology first while defending itself against the attack of the space pirates! (recommended for ages 8-12)


Magic Tree House: Space Mission
Wednesdays, July 11 - August 29 2:00 p.m. And Fridays, July 6 - August 24 7:00 p.m.What would you do if you found a note with lots of question on it? "How many stars in the starry night sky? If we flew to the Sun, how long would we fly? Will we travel to planets and will it be soon? Will we ever be able to live on the Moon? How does it feel to journey through space? Why is our Earth so special a place?" From the authors of the best-selling novel series, join Jack and Annie as they discover the secrets of the Sun, Moon, planets, space travel, and more. Who can help them answer the mysterious "M's" questions? (recommended for ages 5 and older)

Laser Kids Wednesdays, July 11 - August 29
3:00 p.m. Our popular show has gotten a new song list. Songs include "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," "Supercalifragilisticsexpialidocious," and "Yellow Submarine," to name just a few. (recommended for ages 5 and older)


Space Shapes & Tycho to the Moon
Thursdays, July 5 – August 23 2:00 p.m.
Exploring shapes in space: are the Moon and its orbit "round" like a ball or a pancake? Play connect-the-dots with the stars to find triangles and squares and constellations. Meet Tycho, a dog who doesn't just howl at the Moon, but wants to go there. Blast off on an amazing ride. Learn about night and day, space travel, the phases of the Moon, and features of the lunar surface. Watch meteors shoot across the sky and see the Earth from space. (recommended for ages 5-10 accompanied by an adult)

SkyLights Thursdays, July 5 – August 23
3:00 p.m. Our youngest audience members can sing along with songs by Mr. RAY (Family Ride, Kalien the Alien) and Jane Murphy (Moon Rock Rock, The Planet Song). Some songs are illustrated with lasers and other songs feature video images. (recommended for ages 5-10)


FREE Summer Movies in Somerville. Bring a chair, or a blanket, bring your friends and kids, pack a snack for movie time, and head down to Division Street (now a plaza, not a street). Questions? Call 908.541.1600 or email dsa@findsomerville.com.

BACK TO THE FUTURE Aug. 22, 8:30 p.m. Rated PG
1980s teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is transported back in time to 1955 where he accidentally changes the course of history through a series of comic misadventures and finds he must return things to the way they were, back to the future.

E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL Aug 29, 8:30 p.m.Rated PG
A being from outer space is accidentally stranded on Earth. In his search for refuge, E.T. wanders into a backyard where he is discovered by ten-year-old Elliott. Elliott assumes responsibility for E.T.'s safety while searching, in a race against time, for a way to reunite E.T. with his own kind in this heartwarming story of friendship and discovery.

Looking for Music in the Parks this summer? Check out the “Events – Summer Concerts” listings in the “Useful Websites” section on the right side of this newsletter. (If you are getting this as an email, click on the headline to open it up in the bookcase format and these will appear.)

 

Let Your Fingers Do MORE walking:

From Wonderopolis.org

Wonder of the Day #673: Can Kids Be Inventors, Too?

We hope today’s Wonder of the Day gives you a few ideas and encourages you to pursue your dreams!



Have you ever wondered…

• Can kids be inventors, too?
• How do things get invented?
• What famous things have been invented by kids?

Did you know?

Do you have imagination? Do you like to solve problems? Can you think outside the box?

If so, you could be the next great inventor. “But I’m just a kid,” you might say! Don’t worry about a little thing like age. Some of the greatest inventors in the world got their start as kids.

For example, one famous inventor — Benjamin Franklin — got his start when he was only 12. At that young age, he created paddles for his hands to help him swim faster. Eventually, his creation led to what we now call flippers!

You don’t have to be an adult, a scientist or a genius to be an inventor. One thing you do need, though, is something that kids have plenty of: curiosity and imagination. Kids are known for looking at things in new and unique ways. Sometimes the insights they have lead to great inventions!

Sometimes inventors come up with completely new products or devices that solve a particular problem. At other times, though, new inventions are merely existing items that have been changed or improved so that they work better or serve a different purpose.

So what should you do if you have what you think is a great idea for an invention? Talk to a friend or family member about it. Get input from others about your idea. Then ask them to help you create a working model — called a prototype — of your idea.

Once you have a prototype, you can test it. Sometimes your idea turns out to be not quite as great as you thought. At other times, though, you realize it is a good idea and your prototype can help you figure out how to make it even better.

If your idea really is a good one, an adult can help you contact companies that might be interested in it. You will also want an adult’s help to get a patent for your idea, so that it is protected and can’t be stolen by someone else.

If you need some inspiration, consider these kids and their inventions:

• Jeanie Low invented the Kiddie Stool when she was just 11. It’s a folding stool that fits under the kitchen sink. Kids can unfold it and use it to reach the sink all by themselves.
• At the age of 15, Louis Braille invented the system named after him that allows the blind to read.
• Chelsea Lannon received a patent when she was just 8 for the “pocket diaper,” a new type of diaper that includes a pocket for holding baby wipes and powder.

Try it out!

Do you have your own bright ideas for some new inventions? How about a toothbrush that brushes your teeth while you’re sleeping? Or a robot that does your homework while you’re at soccer practice? Maybe even a pencil that knows the answers to test questions!

Share your ideas with your Wonder Friends by posting a few of your ideas on Facebook. We can’t wait to hear about your big plans for future inventions!
 
Still wondering?
Science NetLinks’ Invention at Play website challenges children to explore, question, invent and collaborate to make their own discoveries.

Look for MORE WONDERS at Wonderopolis.org.

 
Want to encourage more creative & inventive play in your children? …check out this article: The Best TV for Grade-Schoolers, and Other TV Tips